Post by mohauk on Mar 3, 2007 8:09:43 GMT
Administratum Report [Martius Hope DeltaAlphaIota34487]
Subject: The Mekaaya Natives
Author: Scriptor Second Class Brutures
Recipient: Scriptor Secreteriat Tertius
Sir, I have compiled my third report in the series you requested on the native tribes of St Martius Footfall, the major continent on St Martius Hope. This treatise has been compiled through more intimate study of the locals, who, unlike the previous two studied, are not overly hostile to Imperial contact.
The Mekaaya are one of the most regressed and uncivilised of all the native tribes of St Martius Hope. Their technological level is in general low, and does not contain any of the anomalies seen in other tribes due to the lack of any Imperial trade. Their social structure is also basic, following a highly crude and simplistic bi-cameralistic (involving two council-like structures that interact through a system of veto and support) governing organisation. Most of this lack of sophistication is due to the geography of the tribe, which, unlike many others, follows an only partially nomadic migratory pattern.
I will begin the main of this report, therefore, with a description of said geography, and the migratory movements of the Mekaaya tribe. The tribe are situated in the almost exact centre of the continent, in a huge area of unexplored forestation and large expanses of plateau, patrolled only by those beasts most resistant to flares, and populated with hardy grasses. They are well without the range of almost all exploits into the otherwise uninhabited parts of the Footfall, and only through the initial and annual explorator expeditions do we known of their existence. Indeed, due to the thickness of vegetation, I was unable to travel, with my small PDF escort, any other way than on foot and occasionally by use of pack adamantadons, the only creature with the bulk and armour to force its way between the thickest matts of meganus complecti, barbed as they often are. This journey took me near on a month, for an air-drop would hardly have been the subtle and endearing arrival I intended to make into the culture of the Mekaaya.
It seems next most relevant to talk of the other majuor point of the Mekaaya tribe – their strange religion. The Mekaaya once kept their movements nearer to the outskirts of the explored areas, at the times when the Adeptus Mechanicus were first recolonising the planet. Their technology was at this point not dissimilar to how it is today – in the main pre-blackpowder, although a few crude, inefficient musket-pistols are lovingly maintained. They saw the landing of explorator vessels and believed them to be some form of deities of celestial beings. The Mekaaya made themselves known, attempting to lead the Mechanicus operatives to their crude temples, worshipping the mechanical creatures they saw before them.
With the destruction of the more protective atmospheric gases by human industry since that time, the flares have become more dangerous for simple peoples like the mekaaya, and they were forced to retreat deeper into the forested areas, to their current area of migration. Their religion became more and more ritualised and abstracted as they lost contact with the Priests of Mars, almost forming a worship of any machine which was in contact with or had had some connection with a human mind. Their religion teaches of a great re-coming of the mechanicus to save them from their Chaos-like anti-entity, an entirely baseless being who they believe causes and personifies their worst suffering – the solar flare cycle. This religion is, in the main, the largest reason for the lack of contact with Imperials – normally missionary forces are sent to co vnert heathen tribes, but technically the Mekaaya fall under worship of the omnissiah, and the Adeptus Mechanicus has stated that it intends to protect this right to religion. Why the tech-priests would want this is unknown, but then so are many of their ways.
Lastly, the society of the Mekaaya. As I have said, they are bi-cameralistic, rule over by two councils whose relationships are complex enough to mean that a form of republic has been formed – no one body can gain a majority of power. The first circle, and the most traditional, in some ways more powerful is the Faerrocirc (the Mekaaya use a degenerated form of old-gothic similar to secessionist forms of ab-gothic), meaning iron circle, or metal council. It is comprised in the main of elders, and represents the governmental and religious powers of the tribe It contains both men and women, though, as in many cultures, it is male dominated. The second is the Uxcirca, meaning Born Circle, or Birthing Circle (the Mekaaya tongue is often ambiguous, and only decipherable in the context of traditional phrases. After years with them, I am still having trouble picking of the many meanings of different words.) This circle speaks for the people, and in recent years it has grown more powerful. It is comprised entirely of women, often the more mature, though should a woman find a discarded piece of Imperial technology, she is perceived as religiously blessed. She is in the rare position of having a choice of the two circles, as in any other situations, members are invited to the Faerrocirc. Incidentally this discovery of tech occurs surprisingly often considering the remote location. Rumours that the Adeptus Mechanicus plants these scraps of machinery as a way of subtly feeding the Mekaaya religion are unproved and always denied.
The Mekaaya’s migratory pattern is tripartial, and reflects their religion, rather than out of necessity. Every three (of Martius Hope’s nine) months, exact to the day, the mekaaya move to one of their three villages, all of which are maintained by a special force of warriors formed from those who have dishonoured themselves (this is a punishment because the Mekaaya believe any tribesman or woman who does not move with the migration is abandoned by the machine gods.) Each of these villaged represents one of the three ‘states’ of the machine – Creator, Augmentor, Destructor. From the first move, in the early days of the second month, to Creator, it moves in said order. All burials are saved, preserved in coffins filled with salt for the time of the Destructor, and females control births through plant extract drugs so that all births are in the Creator’s time. Any baby born in another period is brought up to join the warrior cadre of the maintainers.
I hope, sir, that this report contains enough detail for you. I will await a reply before beginning my next report, though I have lined up and located a tribe so that when I have your approval, I may begin with the utmost efficiency.
Information is control,
Brutures, Scriptor Second Class
Subject: The Mekaaya Natives
Author: Scriptor Second Class Brutures
Recipient: Scriptor Secreteriat Tertius
Sir, I have compiled my third report in the series you requested on the native tribes of St Martius Footfall, the major continent on St Martius Hope. This treatise has been compiled through more intimate study of the locals, who, unlike the previous two studied, are not overly hostile to Imperial contact.
The Mekaaya are one of the most regressed and uncivilised of all the native tribes of St Martius Hope. Their technological level is in general low, and does not contain any of the anomalies seen in other tribes due to the lack of any Imperial trade. Their social structure is also basic, following a highly crude and simplistic bi-cameralistic (involving two council-like structures that interact through a system of veto and support) governing organisation. Most of this lack of sophistication is due to the geography of the tribe, which, unlike many others, follows an only partially nomadic migratory pattern.
I will begin the main of this report, therefore, with a description of said geography, and the migratory movements of the Mekaaya tribe. The tribe are situated in the almost exact centre of the continent, in a huge area of unexplored forestation and large expanses of plateau, patrolled only by those beasts most resistant to flares, and populated with hardy grasses. They are well without the range of almost all exploits into the otherwise uninhabited parts of the Footfall, and only through the initial and annual explorator expeditions do we known of their existence. Indeed, due to the thickness of vegetation, I was unable to travel, with my small PDF escort, any other way than on foot and occasionally by use of pack adamantadons, the only creature with the bulk and armour to force its way between the thickest matts of meganus complecti, barbed as they often are. This journey took me near on a month, for an air-drop would hardly have been the subtle and endearing arrival I intended to make into the culture of the Mekaaya.
It seems next most relevant to talk of the other majuor point of the Mekaaya tribe – their strange religion. The Mekaaya once kept their movements nearer to the outskirts of the explored areas, at the times when the Adeptus Mechanicus were first recolonising the planet. Their technology was at this point not dissimilar to how it is today – in the main pre-blackpowder, although a few crude, inefficient musket-pistols are lovingly maintained. They saw the landing of explorator vessels and believed them to be some form of deities of celestial beings. The Mekaaya made themselves known, attempting to lead the Mechanicus operatives to their crude temples, worshipping the mechanical creatures they saw before them.
With the destruction of the more protective atmospheric gases by human industry since that time, the flares have become more dangerous for simple peoples like the mekaaya, and they were forced to retreat deeper into the forested areas, to their current area of migration. Their religion became more and more ritualised and abstracted as they lost contact with the Priests of Mars, almost forming a worship of any machine which was in contact with or had had some connection with a human mind. Their religion teaches of a great re-coming of the mechanicus to save them from their Chaos-like anti-entity, an entirely baseless being who they believe causes and personifies their worst suffering – the solar flare cycle. This religion is, in the main, the largest reason for the lack of contact with Imperials – normally missionary forces are sent to co vnert heathen tribes, but technically the Mekaaya fall under worship of the omnissiah, and the Adeptus Mechanicus has stated that it intends to protect this right to religion. Why the tech-priests would want this is unknown, but then so are many of their ways.
Lastly, the society of the Mekaaya. As I have said, they are bi-cameralistic, rule over by two councils whose relationships are complex enough to mean that a form of republic has been formed – no one body can gain a majority of power. The first circle, and the most traditional, in some ways more powerful is the Faerrocirc (the Mekaaya use a degenerated form of old-gothic similar to secessionist forms of ab-gothic), meaning iron circle, or metal council. It is comprised in the main of elders, and represents the governmental and religious powers of the tribe It contains both men and women, though, as in many cultures, it is male dominated. The second is the Uxcirca, meaning Born Circle, or Birthing Circle (the Mekaaya tongue is often ambiguous, and only decipherable in the context of traditional phrases. After years with them, I am still having trouble picking of the many meanings of different words.) This circle speaks for the people, and in recent years it has grown more powerful. It is comprised entirely of women, often the more mature, though should a woman find a discarded piece of Imperial technology, she is perceived as religiously blessed. She is in the rare position of having a choice of the two circles, as in any other situations, members are invited to the Faerrocirc. Incidentally this discovery of tech occurs surprisingly often considering the remote location. Rumours that the Adeptus Mechanicus plants these scraps of machinery as a way of subtly feeding the Mekaaya religion are unproved and always denied.
The Mekaaya’s migratory pattern is tripartial, and reflects their religion, rather than out of necessity. Every three (of Martius Hope’s nine) months, exact to the day, the mekaaya move to one of their three villages, all of which are maintained by a special force of warriors formed from those who have dishonoured themselves (this is a punishment because the Mekaaya believe any tribesman or woman who does not move with the migration is abandoned by the machine gods.) Each of these villaged represents one of the three ‘states’ of the machine – Creator, Augmentor, Destructor. From the first move, in the early days of the second month, to Creator, it moves in said order. All burials are saved, preserved in coffins filled with salt for the time of the Destructor, and females control births through plant extract drugs so that all births are in the Creator’s time. Any baby born in another period is brought up to join the warrior cadre of the maintainers.
I hope, sir, that this report contains enough detail for you. I will await a reply before beginning my next report, though I have lined up and located a tribe so that when I have your approval, I may begin with the utmost efficiency.
Information is control,
Brutures, Scriptor Second Class